Hello friends and alumni of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism,
In my first couple of months as interim head, I’ve been grateful for the strong legacy and leadership network of our faculty, alumni and friends. With your goodwill and support across the years, the department has grown in strategic ways through expansion of teaching programs, along with extending the reach and visibility of our scholarly impacts. Dr. Carla Santos, the previous head who has moved into the AHS Dean’s Office, has left us in a solid position to engage our future.
I hope this message finds you well and in good health. It is my pleasure to share with you our fall 2023 newsletter. As a takeaway message, please know that we are committed to keeping you informed about our programmatic developments—from innovative research projects to exciting student achievements to alumni in action.
We are thrilled to showcase the accomplishments of our students. This newsletter features inspiring stories of how our graduates are making their mark in the industry, and how our current students are working their way toward that goal through their coursework and life-changing internships.
Furthermore, we highlight a few of our faculty to illustrate how our research propels the department forward as a leader in advancing knowledge and influencing policy and practice. Whether you’re an alumnus, a current student or faculty member, we hope you enjoy our stories.
I’m hoping to connect with many of you over the coming year and invite you to stop by Huff Hall to visit your Illini family. Wishing you all an invigorating fall season!
Warm regards,
Bill Stewart Interim Head Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism
Haley Bauman graduated from the University of Illinois in August 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in recreation, sport and tourism. She told us about her internship program this summer.
This past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete a 10-week internship as an activities field support agent for the Catalina Island Co. My initial connection to this company was through an online job search, which led to a seasonal position as a sales agent in the summer of 2022.
After experiencing an incredible season on Catalina Island, I knew that once this opportunity came to an end it would not be the last time I worked for this company. This past spring, I partnered with their tours and activities management team to create an entirely new position that aligned with the RST Internship Program.
I chose Catalina Island for my internship site because I thought it would be the best fit for my future career goals in the eco-tourism industry. Additionally, the Catalina Island Co. provides numerous opportunities for employees to try out multiple positions within their tours and activities department. I decided to do my internship in California because I am hoping to move there post-graduation. Having connections in the location where you plan to live is crucial for your employment in the future.
As a field support agent in the tours and activities department, my primary responsibilities included guiding tourists and helping with any questions or concerns, packaging tours and activities in a cost-efficient and time-friendly manner and assisting co-workers with daily tasks. Additionally, I assisted my internship supervisor with office and onsite jobs, such as setting up signage for cruise ships, adjusting balance sheets and organizing work spaces to maintain a clean and happy work environment. The unique eco-tourism opportunities I packaged, sold and guided guests to partake in ranged from semi-submersible rides and bison expeditions to eco-ziplining tours.
A major positive aspect of this internship experience was that it provided me with the opportunity to practice a work-life balance in the real world. Through trial and error, I found which strategies worked best to keep me happy and healthy during this process. Another key aspect was that I have grown personally and professionally, which allowed me to reach the goals I had set for myself—especially in the areas of communication and customer service. This internship also helped me discover a major life lesson: not everything needs to go according to plan for you to be successful. In fact, most things won’t go according to plan and that’s OK because it’s the problem-solving and outcome that dictates your success.
Although my internship has ended, I am continuing to work with the Catalina Island Co. as a sales agent for the tours and activities department through the remainder of the season in October. This opportunity has been such an incredible learning experience and I am excited to continue to grow with this position. Overall, I would definitely recommend interning for this company as it provides hands-on experiences to help individuals build confidence and a better understanding of what interests them in the field of recreation, sport and tourism.
Rural and nature-based tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in the tourism industry, and the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism wants to be at the forefront of efforts to develop it further.
Eagle Days in Havana, Ill., are days when visitors flock to see the majestic birds.
Rural and nature-based tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in the tourism industry, and the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism in the College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois wants to be at the forefront of helping develop it.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated the U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for $374 billion of gross domestic product in 2020. A survey of tourists from eight Midwest states—including Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin—revealed that Illinois was their No. 1 destination.
The I-Rural project, funded by Illinois Extension and the University of Illinois’ Office of the Provost Investment for Growth Program, was launched in 2022 to develop a model that will guide rural tourism development across the state. Illinois Extension and RST have partnered to help rural communities create strategies for capturing a piece of the fast-growing tourism industry. The river-based communities of Grafton, Havana, Savanna and Galena are piloting the project.
In the project’s first phase, interactive workshops were held with local leaders and business owners at the four pilot sites, followed by stakeholder interviews in Phase 2 and the development of a survey to understand rural tourist motivations and preferences in Phase 3.
RST Assistant Professors Joelle Soulard and Sharon Zou said that “throughout the project, we made multiple visits to communities. During these visits, we met and connected with local government staff, business owners, public land managers, nonprofit staff and residents.”
Executive reports and webinars were held to share the findings and access to the I-Rural Toolkit, which showcased strategies to develop rural tourism and grant-funding opportunities.
Building new relationships between RST faculty and Extension staff was critical to the project. The relationships Extension built in the communities enhanced the ability of RST researchers to gather data. This year, I-Rural is seeing RST research converted into relevant, actionable plans in rural communities throughout Illinois, Soulard and Zou said.
“We presented our project to Illinois Extension’s Local Government Education webinar series,” the RST faculty members said. “More than 65 local officials and community leaders attended. Student engagement was an important part of the project. We had undergraduate and graduate students who participated in all aspects of research. We published a series of articles in tourism management journals based on this research, and the citation index for these articles is rapidly growing, showing how Illinois is a leader in advancing the literature in this area.”
Jennifer Russell, the University of Illinois Extension Community & Economic Development educator working in the region, said that local leaders are attending events to learn about regional tourism and growth in the industry, and communities are applying for Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grants to upgrade local resources such as a community pool, downtown riverfronts and docks.
“Communities are exploring opportunities to host new tourists because of an increase in cruise ships docking nearby,” Russell said, “while also marketing local assets like wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, orchards, mushroom hunting, road trips, zipline, ski-lift, alpine coaster, specialty markets and more.”
Grafton is continuing to work on tourism-related projects, she said. Aerie’s Resort recently opened an alpine coaster, and the mayor’s office is heading up a Veteran-themed art installation and a ferry study to improve transportation infrastructure for residents and Missouri tourists crossing the Mississippi River.
Richard Proffer, Illinois Extension community and economic development educator for Mason County, said that there was “a lot of excitement” on the part of businesses and residents invested in their community in Havana who didn’t know how to implement tourism strategies.
After reviewing studies of visitors, a group was formed to activate programs. Natural tourism is a draw for Havana and the county, with visitors from Chicagoland coming for stargazing and 2,000 attendees at the Eagle Days festivals in February, considered an optimal time for people to see the majestic birds. Bed and breakfast bookings increased in the area, and survey responses from tourists prompted the establishment of a restaurant serving breakfast, Proffer said.
Zou and Soulard said they are in the final stage and wrapping up the project, but stressed that much work remains to be done.
“We are trying to visit the communities to share our findings that are relevant and helpful for their tourism development,” the researchers said. “We will present the project to the National Extension Tourism conference in Milwaukee, and we are hoping to connect with extension [groups] from across the country and seek ways to expand the project to a regional one. We would also like to dive into agritourism sector, and we are currently collaborating with folks at the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.”
Libby Knight, the assistant director of marketing and communications at Carle Illinois College of Medicine, is an RST alumna, graduating in December of 2011 with a M.S. in Sport Management. She answered questions about picking RST, her favorite course and her most memorable on-campus experience.
Q. Why did you pick RST?
A: After graduating with a B.S. in Sport Management and Communications from Indiana State University and having played college soccer at ISU, I wanted to continue my education to better prepare myself for my professional career in sports management, namely collegiate athletics. I chose RST as it aligned with my professional goals and allowed me the opportunity to also complete a graduate assistantship with the Illinois athletics communications department.
Q: Which professors had the most impact on you?
A: While it has been a number of years since I was at AHS, I remember my advisor, Dr. Carla Costa, and the legend himself, Dr. Michael Raycraft, having the most impact on me when I was in school. Dr. Costa was a great advocate and someone who I know would give supportive, constructive criticism, while also pushing me to my best effort. Dr. Raycraft’s classes were always engaging and fun and very educational in a real-world way. I vividly remember his RST 515 “Marketing in RST” class being one of my favorites during my graduate program.
Q: What course did you most enjoy?
A: I think I would say that Dr. Raycraft’s RST 515 “Marketing in RST” class was one of my favorite classes during my time at Illinois. I remember one of our assignments was to attend an event at State Farm Center and look and experience the event through a critical eye. Dr. Raycraft apologized in advance for the result being we would never see an event that we attended the same way again.
Q: Did you enter RST knowing your career path, or did RST help you decide?
A: I entered RST knowing the career path I wanted to pursue, with my experience at Illinois cementing that working in college athletics was something I wanted to do for a living.
Q: Did your RST experience lead to your current job?
A: In a roundabout way, my RST experience did have an impact on my current job. Following my graduate program at Illinois, I worked in the athletics departments at Morehead State, Kennesaw State and finally came back to Illinois to work in the same office I did as a graduate assistant in fall of 2015. I worked in the Illinois Athletics communications department for seven years and loved it. I had so many wonderful opportunities and experiences, including going to the 2018 NCAA national semifinals with the volleyball team and hosting the 2022 NCAA tennis championships as co-communications coordinator. In September 2022, I decided to step away from college athletics for a little more work/life balance in my life and through the skills I learned from my AHS education and the work experience I gained professionally, I was able to move over to the Carle Illinois College of Medicine where I serve as the assistant director of marketing and communications.
Q: What was your favorite on-campus experience?
A: My favorite on-campus experiences were always working or attending Illinois athletics events. It was such an amazing experience to see the behind-the-scenes work of a major athletics department and as a Champaign native, cheering for my hometown team!
Q: What would you say to recommend RST to a prospective student?
A: I would tell prospective students that RST offers an amazing experience to learn about everything there is to offer in recreation, sport and tourism professions. In my experience, the professors were passionate about educating students and providing real-world examples for hands-on learning opportunities. One of the main reasons I chose RST and wanted to work in sports is that sports is fun! There is a time and place to be serious and work through issues or problems, but most people who work in sports do so for the love of the game. Choosing RST allows you to learn about professions in sports (as well as recreation and tourism) and sets you up for success in the future.
Led by RST faculty, students in the spring semester got to see historic sites in London and Croatia, mixing education and experiences abroad. Check out all the photos.
CROATIA
RST students enrolled in ACE 436: International Business Immersion Program (IBIP) Croatia traveled for two weeks in May 2023 all around Croatia to learn about the unique recreation and tourism economics of Croatia from their professor and Croatian native, Renata Endres. Most of the students who traveled with IBIP were visiting Croatia for the first time. Some had never left the United States before this trip. Others arrived in the United States as immigrants or international students themselves, and some have traveled the world already. They are students from a wide variety of academic disciplines and come from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They grew up on small farms, in mid-sized towns, in suburbs and in large cities.
Nineteen students who were enrolled in the RST 199 course embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime field trip to London in spring 2023. The course provided students with an opportunity to explore one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations firsthand. The group of students and their professor, RST Clinical Associate Professor Michael Raycraft, had departed from O’Hare International Airport on a Friday evening. After a long flight, they arrived in London early Saturday morning and were immediately struck by the city’s bustling energy and vibrant culture. Over the course of the following week, the students had a busy schedule filled with tours, museum visits and cultural experiences. They visited iconic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the British Museum and more.
People who found ways to explore their sexuality and use it as a coping mechanism during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had more active and fulfilling sex lives, according to studies conducted by RST Associate Professor Liza Berdychevsky.
The fear, uncertainty and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on adults’ mental and physical health – and their sex lives, several studies reported. However, new research suggests that individuals who embraced sex as a leisure activity found creative ways to cope with the effects of the pandemic and enjoyed more satisfying and active sex lives compared with people who did not view sex the same way.
Researcher Liza Berdychevsky, a professor of recreation, sport and tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, conducted an online survey of 675 adults in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada between February and May 2021. Published in the journal Leisure Studies, the first paper from the project examined people’s views of sex as leisure before and during the pandemic and the effects those outlooks had on the respondents’ quantity and quality of sex.
The sex-as-leisure perspective was defined in the study as engaging in sexual activity for purposes such as recreation, relaxation, self-gratification or personal development.
“When sexual activity is pleasurable, freely chosen, and intrinsically motivated, it aligns with most definitions of leisure activity,” Berdychevsky said. “The sex-as-leisure mindset affects sexual inhibitions, attitudes and practices, and it is congruent with the view of sexual health as key to our overall wellbeing and quality of life.”
The paper “Sex as leisure approach during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the quantity and quality of sex life” is available online.
